Top 10 Places with Secrets We Are Dying to Know
#10: Fort Knox
This army base in the United States is so secure that it’s often invoked when trying to convey that something is impenetrable or unbreakable. The high level of security is due to the fact that the base is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is often referred to as Fort Knox as well. This is where U.S. stores over half of its gold reserves, totaling roughly 4,580 metric tons of bullion. It’s also reportedly home to the Magna Carta, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and a large stockpile of morphine and opium. Though that’s enough to justify the security, doesn’t it also seem like the perfect place to conceal other, even more controversial, government secrets?
#9: Cheyenne Mountain Complex
When you build something inside a mountain, you immediately arouse suspicions. It’s a real supervillain/secret organization sort of move. And when that base was once home to one of the highest governmental organizations responsible for national defense and potential international crisis type situations, well… we know there’s no way they’re actually telling us everything. The Cheyenne Mountain Complex is a bunker and military base that formerly served as the headquarters of not only NORAD (the North American Aerospace Defense Command) but also the United States Space Command. And wherever outer space and the government collide, secrets are sure to be found. The Complex is now an Air Force Station and fallback command center, but what else?
#8: Mount Weather
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In case you can’t tell, we’re going to be spending a lot of time in the United States. But hey, it’s a nation that’s home to a lot of elaborate, complex, and well-guarded compounds. The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center is different from our last two entries in that it’s a civilian command center rather than a strictly military installation. It’s the home base of FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and is a fallback point for high ranking essential personnel in the event of a major national disaster. In addition to the visible portion of the facility, Mt. Weather also has an underground portion, dubbed “Area B,” measuring 600,000 square feet. In an apocalypse scenario, this where you want to be.
#7: Granite Mountain
If there’s one type of organization that makes people more suspicious than government, it’s religion. Not to be outdone by the United States government, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, better known as the Mormon church, has their very own secret mountain hideaway in the Wasatch Range of Utah. The Granite Mountain Records Vault is home to approximately 2.4 million rolls of microfilm amounting to roughly 3.5 BILLION individual records that make up the group’s genealogical library. They accept any and all family records, not just those of members, but given that this nonprofit is run by the Mormon Church, people are naturally skeptical. The vault also contains various church materials, and people can’t help but speculate that it includes rare religious artefacts.
#6: The Coca-Cola Vault
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Okay… we’re actually starting to get a little jealous. Does everyone have a cool secret vault except for us?! Most major food and beverage companies keep their recipes close to the chest, but Coca Cola takes the protection of its secret formula even more seriously than most. And can you blame them? It’s basically the most iconic commercial beverage on earth. Over the years, numerous formulas have been published or leaked that claim to be the real thing, but the company maintains that these are simple imitators and that the secret remains just that - a secret. Coca-Cola does offer a tour that lets you visit the vault, but don’t expect to see the recipe!
#5: Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain is actually an information management company with storage locations around the globe - many of them underground. However, easily their most famous and high security facility is the converted limestone mine in Boyers, Pennsylvania, which has come to be colloquially referred to simply as Iron Mountain due to its high-profile status. Like some sort of evil lair, it’s patrolled by armed guards. But considering it holds the master recordings of the Universal Music Group, among countless other priceless treasures, images, and documents, it makes sense the wealth contained is likely unfathomable. Unfortunately, we’ll probably have to wait for the end of the world to know the full extent of its contents.
#4: Mezhgorye, Russia
Alright, now we’re getting into really secretive territory, where conspiracy theories abound. But considering that Mezhgorye is a “closed town,” we’re not really surprised that online sleuths have let their imagination run wild. We have a lot of questions too! A “closed town” basically means that people need authorization to enter or stay overnight. Such towns were common during the Cold War, but people can’t help but wonder what continued purpose they might serve in the modern day. Of the surviving closed towns in Russia, Mezhgorye is the one that seems most shrouded in secrecy. It’s thought to be housing for the families of workers involved in the equally mysterious Mount Yamantau project. And realistically, the closest you’ll get to Yamantau is playing “Black Ops.”
#3: The White House
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We know what you’re thinking… compared to most of the places we’ve discussed today, the White House might as well be open to the public. We’ve seen much of its interior over the years, many politicians and government employees come and go regularly, and because so many television series have recreated its iconic halls, most of us feel like we actually know it well. But here’s the thing, there are whole sections of the White House that only a small handful of people can actually access, like the situation room. And considering the tunnels and “secret” entrance we do know about, many suspect that there’s far more going on underground than the government is willing to acknowledge.
#2: Vatican Secret Archives
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If you think the Mormon church have things to hide in their not-so-secret secret vaults, just imagine what sort of ancient, powerful, and invaluable items might be under lock and key at the Vatican. This central repository of the Vatican City is where the church keeps its many important documents. In recent years, this treasure trove of religious and historical information has been opened up to select researchers, but considering the space is literally called the “Vatican Secret Archives,” something tells us that no one’s being granted full access. Even if nothing nefarious lies within, we can only imagine that among those countless volumes of text, many lost secrets sit just waiting to be uncovered.
#1: Area 51
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Even in this modern, technologically-advanced, globalized age, isolated and heavily guarded places and buildings continue to inspire our imagination. But there’s arguably no facility that has been the subject of more speculation than Area 51 in the Nevada Test and Training Range. Shrouded in secrecy, the facility is a mecca for UFO and extraterrestrial enthusiasts. And it certainly doesn’t help that it took the CIA over 50 years to even acknowledge its existence, which they did 2013 following a Freedom of Information Act request. Weather control, UFO research, time travel, futuristic weapons, a shadow government - the conspiracy theories cover a wide range of subjects. But as for the truth? We may never know.
